TEXTURE AND MICROSTRUCTURE OF CHHANA AND RASOGOLLA MADE FROM BUFFALO MILK

Rasogolla, a popular Indian sweetened dairy product, was made from buffalo milk chhana (which is a soft cottage cheese analogue) by adding 2% wheat flour, 0.02% baking powder and flavouring. Chhana, in the form of balls (12-15 mm diameter) was cooked in a 60% sugar syrup for 15 min, transferred to a 50% sugar syrup for 1 h and then stored overnight at 22-degrees-C. Scanning electron microscopy of chhana revealed coalesced, compact casein micelles with fat globules cemented together and numerous small voids interspersed throughout the matrix, resembling paneer or cottage cheese structure. As a result of cooking of chhana, the fat globules ruptured and finally coalesced to large masses and the void spaces increased markedly, producing a highly ragged and uneven matrix with carded cotton-like structure in rasogolla. Market rasogolla made from cows' milk showed thick thread-like coalesced casein micelles forming a very loose matrix with numerous large voids in between. Textural studies demonstrated significantly higher hardness and gumminess, but lower springiness and chewiness in chhana than in rasogolla. Market rasogolla had textured properties closer to those of laboratory made samples. Moisture content was significantly negatively correlated with all the Instron textural parameters, while protein, ash and calcium contents exhibited significant positive correlation with all the textural characteristics except springiness for both chhana and rasogolla. No correlation was found with fat, lactose or sucrose contents and any of the textural parameters. Composition, texture and microstructure of both chhana and rasogolla were found to be interrelated.